Social Care is big issue to Selly Oak Constituents

Steve has received an overwhelming response to an online survey on funding for social care for the elderly.

85% of respondents said care for the elderly was either very important or extremely important to their family.

Steve has begun to open up a discussion about the future of social care, especially for the elderly. In July the Government finally published its long-awaited White Paper, Caring for our Future, and the draft Care and Support Bill. This is an issue that will affect everyone at some point in their lives and, as the results of Steve’s survey have shown, it is an issue that many people feel strongly about.

38% of respondents who knew someone currently in care described the care as good or excellent. However 24% described it as poor or totally unacceptable. Every single elderly person should receive care that is at the very least satisfactory. That nearly a quarter are below that shows the urgency with which this MUST be addressed.

When asked about how care for the elderly should be funded, 66% of people thought care should be paid for by a combination of the state and the individual, 34% of people thought the state should pay the whole price. The majority of respondents, 77%, believed there should be a cap on the contributions an individual makes, with 66% thinking this should be set at under £20K. Less cut and dried is the question of whether asset’s (savings, property etc) should be taken into account. 44% thought they should, 33% thought they shouldn’t and 23% didn’t know.

Steve McCabe said:

“I conducted this survey to gain an initial snapshot view of what my constituents think about how social care should be funded in the future, it was clear to me from the results that this is an extremely important issue and it is important that we listen to people.

“I found it shocking that 24% of people who knew someone currently in care described the care as poor or totally unacceptable, while the issue of funding for social care is hugely important we also have to look at standards of care and make sure this stands up to scrutiny.

“What was really interesting was the huge variety of ideas for solutions, from making a compulsory payment like NI throughout working life to a ring-fenced tax for elderly care. What struck me most was that most people agreed that care must not be a one size fits all solution.

“I will be continuing to consult on this issue and welcome people’s thoughts and comments. I want to help the Government get this right for the long term.”